Michael Perelman wrote:
If Kerry keeps shifting right, maybe we will have to vote for Bush as the lesser
evil?????
Michael, I realize you are being witty but the differences between Bush
and Kerry are substantial. They range over taxation, stem cell research,
AIDS funding, etc. They also agree substantially on Iraq, trade
agreements like NAFTA, etc.
However, from a Gramscian standpoint it is essential to preserve the
appearance of democracy. That is why elections are so important. They
give the impression that history is being made, even when the major
decisions that are made after the election do not involve the people who
pulled the levers.
For the Democratic Party to retain credibility with Columbia professors,
trade union functionaries, journalists at places like the NY Times and
Mother Jones, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who marched against the
Vietnam war, NPR listeners, etc., it must take correct positions on at
least a number of issues.
If tomorrow John Kerry announced that he favored teaching creationist
"science" in the high schools, opposed affirmative action on principle
(even though he opposed it tactically during an election campaign some
years back), school vouchers and started making regular appearances on
Rush Limbaugh, the whole game would be up. To run a proper shell game,
you have to give the mark the impression that he can win sometimes. That
is why the con man allows some bets to go against him occasionally. That
is bourgeois democracy in essence.
--
Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
